1 The Right Book WATCH ME ZIGZAG after school every single afternoon between the bus stop and Horizon Apartment Flats It's where my best friend Reeni lives in 3B and I live in 3A Reeni and I wave to our friend Anil He karate blocks and punches at us through the bus window It's his way to say Goodbye see you tomorrow The bus pulls off down the road Bye Yasmin says Reeni Bye Reeni I say She turns to go home I go zig zig zag off on my daily mission Mind the crooked tree Mind the istri lady with her iron and heap of clothes Mind the broken pavement and the pigeons cooling their feathers in mud puddles Watch watch watch
And here it is Book Uncle's Lending Library on the corner of St Mary's Road and 1st Cross Street with books spread out on planks of wood and a small tin can for donations just to help out if anyone wants to Here is the sign in faded old letters Books Free Give one Take one Read Read Read Perfect In all of India could there be a better corner lending library than this
2 Number One Patron HELLO YASMIN MA says Book Uncle How's my Number One Patron I don't know about Number One but I'm sure I am Book Uncle's busiest patron as I mean to read one book every day Every single day forever I started last year right after I turned eight That already feels like a billion years ago because now I am past four hundred Books I mean I return yesterday's floppy paperback Book Uncle beams at me through glasses so fat they make his eyes extra big and extra smiley Did you like it he asks He really wants to know Of course I say I always do I always like the books he gives me He waves at the piles Take another take another Something different this time
